Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi continued his attack on PM Narendra Modi on Saturday, saying the government’s push for cashless transactions would trap India’s economy in a “corporate cage”.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi continued his attack on PM Narendra Modi on Saturday, saying the government’s push for cashless transactions would trap India’s economy in a “corporate cage”.

At a rally in Congress-ruled Himachal Pradesh’s Dharamsala, Gandhi accused Modi of breaking the backbone of the state’s economy by scrapping Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes in a shock move last month.

“Demonetisation is not against black money and corruption, but poor, farmers and middle class and a fire-bomb on the country’s cash economy,” Gandhi said at a rally to celebrate the Himachal Pradesh government’s four years in power.

The Congress leader has been at the forefront of opposition to the government’s decision and has hurled personal corruption allegations at the Prime Minister.

His party has made demonetisation an election in several poll-bound states that have elections scheduled early next year.

“PM Modi has broken the backbone of Himachal’s economy, he has taken a crown off the state’s head, just like BJP governments in Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh snatched away lands from adivasis,” Gandhi alleged, adding that farmers who fail to repay loan were termed “thieves” while people such as industrialist Vijay Mallya were called “defaulters”.

Gandhi alleged that Modi’s policy was to siphon off money from the poor and benefit the rich. “Gareebon se kheencho aur ameeron ko seencho (take from the poor and give to the rich) is what the present government is doing,” he said, adding that government figures reveal that one percent of Indians hold 60% of the country’s wealth.

“Modi has divided India. 1% super rich, dishonest people on one side and middle class, poor people on the other side.”

Gandhi alleged that demonetisation was a well-planned move to pull money belonging to 99% people to the banks so that government could waive off loans worth `8 lakh crore of super-rich families.

“The idea is to hold back the money in bank accounts for five-six months and then waive off the loans. Things will not become normal in 50 days as Modi has been claiming,” said the Congress vice-president.